Iodine is essential to healthy body function. That's why iodine salt. If you don't have a thyroid, then it may no longer be an essential part of your diet as iodine chiefly regulates thyroid hormones. But you may want to check with your doctor, I believe there are other parts of your body that still require iodine for other hormones.

 

I am thyroid deficient (though I did not have mine taken out) and I require iodized salt - and you would too I believe. However, if you have a proven allergy to iodine (confirmed by medical diagnosis) I would ask your doctor what you should replace it with, if anything (or did your doctor already tell you you absolutely not only don't need iodine but should avoid it completely?)

 

My thyroid wasn't taken out but I take a high dose of synthroid. All my tests show no deficiencies.
I break out with iodine and shell fish and sometimes just being around shellfish (the smell). I find it hard to breath and get hives all over my body, every inch.

 

You are hypothyroid then. The moment you are NOT treated (have you already amassed a lifetime supply of that synthroid so that if it was not available tomorrow, you could continue to take it?), you will show all the symptoms of hypothyroidism again. Your thyroid IS deficient - which is why you are having to take synthroid to compensate for that.

 

Why iodized salt? I'm alergic to iodine and don't use iodized salt, besides my thyroid took a dump so I don't have to worry about damage by a nuclear incident.

https://en.wikipedia.org/?title=Iodine#Biological_role

There has never been a confirmed report of a true iodine allergy, and an allergy to elemental iodine or simple iodide salts is theoretically impossible. Hypersensitivity reactions to iodine-containing products and foods are apparently related to their other molecular components; thus, a person who has demonstrated an allergy to one iodine-containing food or product should not be assumed to have an allergy to another one. Still, as with all medications, the potential severity of reactions to medical iodine-containing products should prompt questions about a patient's allergy history before they are administered.

You might have an allergy to something that has iodine in it, but not to iodine itself.

Ask your doctor to let you speak to a nutritionist about it.

You still need iodine, but not near as much since you no longer have a thyroid. Your current need is primarily to process selenium. You need very little just to do that. You likely won't need a supplement for this minor need now as long as you maintain a widely varied diet. Your biggest risk comes after a disaster and being on a limited diet. But you could become at risk now if you habitually eat similar foods all the time.

For now be sure to include salt water seafood in your diet and you can likely skip the iodized salt. Other foods with iodine worth trying are potatoes with skin on, eggs, and sometimes milk. The last because dairy farms sometimes use an iodine based disinfectant for cleaning.

 

You can get food allergy testing at the lab. It's a blood test.

I am having that done soon, myself. I am certain I am allergic to peanuts, but I want to find out for sure, and also see if I have any other food triggers, before I buy more preps!

I bought a large (25 pound bag) of non-iodized salt and supplement it with a bottle of iodine. I can apply the iodine to my skin every couple weeks.

That is, once I eat up my "good" salt.

 

Last I heard, there has never been a proven case of iodine allergy, but several patients allergic to PVP iodine (Betadine, Betadine Surgical Scrub), have been proven not to be allergic to iodine salts. Also almost all PVP reactions are contact- with only one anaphylaxis case noted.

Ditto, there are links between shellfish allergy and contrast dye, but not contrast dye and iodine.

Iodized salt is potassium iodide, and a very low dose at that.

 

Your thyroid might have "taken a dump" due to your iodine avoidance.

Just a thought.

Also the drug you take contains iodine.

Also your thyroid will still likely absorb radioactive iodine in a nuclear incident, becoming cancerous. So precautions are still worth considering.

 

Because it's a simple way to prevent iodine deficiency if you are living on a limited diet. How important it is that your storage salt is iodized depends on where you live, though. If you're in the North American "goiter belt" stretching east and west from the Great Lakes, then it's definitely an issue, as in a SHTF situation you may be living on food produced locally only, and the soil is iodine deficient in those areas as well as their being a long way from sources of seafood. If you're in an area with a good iodine level in the soils, then 3 cups of local milk/dairy food a day would meet your MDR or 2 cups plus an egg, and the small amounts of iodine in many other foods would be gravy.

Interestingly, although this country wants table salt sold here to be iodized, there's no requirement processed food manufacturers use iodized salt, so a number of Americans who live on convenience/prepared foods are now iodine-deficient again even though many are consuming way more than the recommended daily amount of sodium.

Most restaurants are not using iodized salt either.

 

Here you go.
http://www.survivalistboards.com/showthread.php?t=381712

 

It's cheaper.

A 1# shaker of iodized runs about $1

25# of non iodized ran about $5.

 

Uhh no



They are exactly the same price at Wal-Mart.

 

.................Why on this site when I type some of the letters are either slow to appear or don't appear at all?

You may need to run an ad blocker for this site to work properly. I had to install an ad blocker to be able to run this site without any problems. I think others on here have had to do the same thing. I installed Adblocker Plus. Before installing the ad blocker I would type and only part of the letters would appear and the site would run slow. It got pretty tiring trying to type and have to go back and retype because letters didn't show up. I was about to give up on this site when one of the members (a big THANK YOU to MikeK) told be about installing an ad blocker.

Here is a post that helped me. My help was on pages 2 & 3.

http://www.survivalistboards.com/showthread.php?t=366427

Hope this helps.

 

I've been taking thyroid medication for about 25 years. As near as I can tell, the only benefit derived is to make the numbers in range when having bloodwork done. None of the symptoms have been relieved either by the medication or the iodine supplement I take. It took about 10 years for me to go through a pound of table salt. Recently my doctor told me the iodine supplement was a waste of money as there is more than enough in a normal diet.

 

While I hate to disagree with your doctor, Steve, I would not just blindly believe him just because he is a doctor - especially when it comes to his assessment about a 'normal diet' and its iodized salt content. First - just what exactly IS a 'normal diet' these days (and secondly how does that relate to YOUR diet?). And what IS your TSH and what is the 'range' your doctor believes is the one your TSH level should be within? Some (even most) doctors are still in the dark ages on that plus it can fluctuate on a daily basis unless you have had your thyroid completely removed. If all your doctor cares about is the range and your TSH anyway, I would dump him tout de suite. Unless you feel great, if nothing has changed over 25 years, I wonder why the heck you are not mad as hell?

Hypothyroidism is very difficult to manage properly and there are very few doctors out there who truly 'get' it - and there are many, many people whose condition is poorly treated as a result. You need to take some responsibility for how you 'feel' if you are hypothyroid too because doctors prescribe only 1 level of meds and how you feel can, as I said, fluctuate - and foods and other things/other meds can interfere with how it works anyway.

After what you just said about taking meds for 25 years and nothing changing at all and your doctor not doing anything about that and you not demanding anything be done about it or changing doctors, I am thinking you are a prime illustration of how bad treatment of this condition is these days - and it is not getting any better. Sad. Why do you put up with that?

 

In 25 years of treatment, there have been probably 10 different doctors involved. To the person, they treat the condition the same way intimating that if not treated that way it'd only get worse. I stopped taking the medication once and was rewarded with temperature sensitivity far worse than normal, weight gain, insomnia, itching, eyesight deterioration and a host of lesser symptoms. All that in 3 months. My dosage has changed at least a dozen times in those 25 years. So tell me, what can I do differently?

 

Great response, Teslin.
To go along with your line of thought, I would also label the "doctors" who treat these types of maladies (the Endocrinologists) are without a doubt the most arrogant A$$holes in the world, and are not open to any discussion on any level of any iodine supplementation.
To add my own thoughts; research has been done for years on the needs of the body for iodine. Currently being championed by Drs. Brownstein, Sherry Tenpenny, and Jorges Flechas, (all on you-tube) among others. Iodine is needed by EVERY cell of the body, and what the FDA cites as RDA only an amount that is needed for the thyroid function. It is also needed for many, many other bodily functions, way to many to go into here. One must do their own research and make your own path to, not normal, but optimal health. As for others assertions that you get way more iodine by eating a "normal" diet. That is total garbage. It has been shown that iodine in our diets has dropped over 50% in the last 40 years because of agriculture practices. Rant Completed.
It is up to us to hold these doctors accountable, everyone! I don't want to be Normal. I want to be Optimal, for ME!

 

Steve, If I might suggest a source to begin: If you are on FaceBook, search the Iodine Workshop group. It is a closed group, you have to request to be added. If you do this, it will give you access to all kinds of recommended reading from the "files" tab at the top of the page, also listing the 2 required reading books to read to get a good grip on what is really happening with iodine depletion. You will also be able to find information about "iodine literate doctors," hopefully you may find one in your area. It is a long road, with lots of reading, but from your comments you have already been on a long road and getting nowhere. Best of luck. Regards, John-Doe

 

John-Doe,

Would you be so kind as to review what I have written in this post and add or comment as you like?
Trying to condense the essential info as much as possible, so low energy people don't have to read tons of stuff to get a basic understanding.

From your post it sounds like you have done a fair bit of research.

http://www.survivalistboards.com/showthread.php?t=381712

I am not on Facebook and have no intentions to ever be. Can you provide links to info that are not on Facebook?


Thank you,



just me.

 

John-Doe - Thanks for the compliment, however, I cannot, in all good conscience, recommend that a hypothyroid patient go the route you are suggesting either. I went to Dr. Fleches for a couple of years - his office is just down the road from me when I am in NC so I tried that approach, and while I know that some people worship him/his way of doing things, I could never recommend it for anyone. Nice guy though (can't say that about some of the other people I had to deal with in his practice though - and there are the criminal charges that are a bit unsettling). The Iodoral however made me much sicker than I have ever been in my life. I just can't go along with extreme measures in just about any area of life.

Steve - Diet is critical. And you may want to learn more about the condition via Mary Shomon's website/forum/books. And, in my experience, keeping the TSH levels between about .02 and .1 (well below the top of the current 'range') is best for many people I know with this problem, and that includes me. For how you 'feel', usually the lower the better but there are potential long term issues with the lowest levels too. The range for diagnosis and maintenance has changed over the years but I am still encountering doctors who think the old scale or even the new scale at the upper ranges is 'normal' and adequate. And it is almost impossible to convince a doctor who is 'old school' about the numbers - move on. If they don't listen to you about how you FEEL and are not willing to try another approach, move on. Perhaps try to seek out a doctor who has the condition him or herself - you may get more understanding there. Or try a homeopath - I had one in TX who diagnosed me within a few minutes when many other doctors totally missed it - they may be open to different approaches to treatment and to the 'how do you feel' thing. This can be an insidious condition, with slow deterioration over time, if you are not optimally treated and treatment varies from one person to another - there is no formula that works for everyone!

This is a battle many of us who are hypothyroid fight (for me it has been well over 20 years now too) - and most of us can tell you it is not an easy road nor a smooth one. We get used to feeling less than we could. We pile on a few pounds here or there and attribute it to getting older - but we can never get them off despite our best efforts. We feel dynamic one day but horrible another if out of balance but accept that we feel sub par but not awful as 'optimum' after years of trying to get back to what we vaguely remember as 'normal'. We fight for our meds sometimes - I have for years asked for several different strengths so I can self-treat the highs and lows if required without returning to a doctor who may take blood samples on a day my TSH is up or down and dose accordingly. We are treated as though we are taking narcotics at times despite the fact that if you are NOT hypothyroid the meds will NOT make your heart race or your metabolism jump as some believe.

Something I have not tried but which many have and it works for them is natural TSH, either in conjunction with the regular medication or alone. And, if synthroid is not working for you to make you feel better in all ways, then a) make sure you are not on a generic - I insist on NO substitutions being on my prescription (I went downhill very quickly for 2 years when Levoxyl, which I take, was not available on the market and I was forced to take a generic, and one year after it has returned with a different manufacturer, I am still not back up to par) and/or b) ask to try another medication (levoxyl is one but there are others - and while all will say they are the same meds, the inactive ingredients can make a BIG difference to some individuals, like me and maybe like you). I also tried the no meds approach - BIG mistake.

What I HAVE found to be helpful for me is avoidance of many foods (many of which I unfortunately like and which are 'good for you' - or at least for those who are not hypothyroid). I don't take iodine supplements but I do try to cook from scratch and always use iodized salt - and not eat out much or buy processed foods. Soy (unfermented) is the biggest of those, but, grapefruit (which is a no-no for many people on meds of many kinds anyway), and all cruciferous/brassica vegetables - especially raw ones and especially things like kale - these are goitrogens - are also on the 'list'. Processed foods which do not contain iodized salt (and most don't) are an issue - so .. those cans of food you like .. umm, not such a great thing. Read more about what is probably best to avoid or limit here (or on many other sites around the web - this is not radical/pseudo-science) http://www.thyrophoenix.com/bad_foods.htm

 

In the 1930s and before, goiter was a common problem. It was almost completely wiped out by iodized salt. Just like polio was almost completely wiped out by the Salk and Sabin vaccines. Ditto Diptheria, pertussis and measles. Now everyone seems to have a better way. For me, I like the taste of sea salt, but I make sure I get some iodized salt. We need to quit trying to rewrite public health because of some crap we read on the internet sewer.

 

Amen, amen, AMEN.

The next thing we need a vaccine for is ignorance.

 

http://photobucket.com/images/goiter

 

"John-Doe - Thanks for the compliment, however, I cannot, in all good conscience, recommend that a hypothyroid patient go the route you are suggesting either. I went to Dr. Fleches for a couple of years - his office is just down the road from me when I am in NC so I tried that approach, and while I know that some people worship him/his way of doing things, I could never recommend it for anyone. Nice guy though (can't say that about some of the other people I had to deal with in his practice though - and there are the criminal charges that are a bit unsettling). The Iodoral however made me much sicker than I have ever been in my life. I just can't go along with extreme measures in just about any area of life."

@Teslin,
Thanks for your response. I apologize if anybody took my post to mean that they should go straight to some other form of treatment. Sometimes the way I write is misconstrued. I am far from being a Dr. (I did get a "Doctor of Motors" Cert in Diesel school sometime in the distant past tho!!). All I was trying to suggest is that there is a lot of alternate thought on the subject and every individual is going to have to learn something new to them, and either act or don't act on their new knowledge. I have not had interaction with any of the Drs. I listed. I surely would never recommend any physician unless I had a personal affiliation with said dr. I have been told that I was borderline Hypo. & researched for myself. Started with body temp monitoring and worked up from there. I do understand that many in the iodine community prescribe massive amounts of Iodine, and that is just not compatible for many, as even a couple of drops of Lugols would really mess them up. I do agree whole-heartedly with the rest of your post on nutrition being very important. That mostly eliminating the goitrogens is best. What I was trying to get across is the thought that because of agricultural practices, iodine levels in our grown foods has plummeted. Iodized salt provided a stop-gap after testing in the upper mid-west studies showed low iodine induced goiter. Also iodine used to be put in flour as some sort of a sticking agent to make it more mixable, I guess. A person could get their daily iodine from a sandwich for lunch. That has changed as now iodine has been replaced with Bromide,(pesticide) another competitor for the iodine receptors in the body, same as chlorine and floride. Its a conspiracy I tell ya!

 

What I was trying to get across is the thought that because of agricultural practices, iodine levels in our grown foods has plummeted. Iodized salt provided a stop-gap after testing in the upper mid-west studies showed low iodine induced goiter. Also iodine used to be put in flour as some sort of a sticking agent to make it more mixable, I guess. A person could get their daily iodine from a sandwich for lunch. That has changed as now iodine has been replaced with Bromide,(pesticide) another competitor for the iodine receptors in the body, same as chlorine and floride. Its a conspiracy I tell ya!

I agree. This is what I understand to be the case as well (although whether it is a 'conspiracy' I am not so sure). With iodine so depleted from the earth and from sources where it used to be added to foods which formed the backbone of many people's diets in the past, many are more likely be triggered into hypothyroidism unfortunately. It is why I try to get across to people they should store iodized salt - and use it. I don't hear/see too many 'ah ha' moments happening when I do so, but one can always try to spread the word.

 

@Just Me,
This subject can get VERY complicated. I have been at it for a couple of years now. Still learning new stuff most every day.
It may take me a little time, but I'll try & put something together and post it to your linked thread.
Honestly, I'm not on Face Book either, I use a household members account!! (with their knowledge)

 

http://www.westonaprice.org/modern-diseases/the-great-iodine-debate/

 

Iodized refined salt tastes so nasty that I have switched exclusively to sea salt completely now.

I don't even buy the iodized anymore.

 

@Teslin, Welllllll, I'll let you decide on the conspiracy thing. I was using that as a joke. But when AMA and Big Pharma will collude to use megabux drugs instead of naturally occurring elements that they really cant patent.....yeah, I'll leave that one up to you. Its big business. Here is an expose on the amount of iodine that is really in iodized salt.
http://iodineresearch.com/debunked.html

 

There seems to be a big controversy in salt these days. As with most elemental nutrients that our bodies need to survive, it all depends on genetics, conditions, and a balanced diet for your specific body profile. The process of iodizing salt started in 1924 to combat the growing goiter problem. This practice was modeled after Sweden who did the same thing with promising results a few years earlier. I think we're going to start seeing a rise in thyroid issues in the US due to the use of sea salts (which only contain trace amounts of iodine) and other non-iodized products.

 

There seems to be a big controversy in salt these days. As with most elemental nutrients that our bodies need to survive, it all depends on genetics, conditions, and a balanced diet for your specific body profile. The process of iodizing salt started in 1924 to combat the growing goiter problem. This practice was modeled after Sweden who did the same thing with promising results a few years earlier. I think we're going to start seeing a rise in thyroid issues in the US due to the use of sea salts (which only contain trace amounts of iodine) and other non-iodized products.

Apparently we already have unfortunately.

And millions of people out there, who are unknowingly on the cusp/borderline hypothyroid, are undiagnosed and hence untreated.

Since they don't know they are hypothyroid and since a bit of iodine might help them not progress as fast, if nothing else, it might be a good thing if people in general would just stock and use iodized salt. It could be very important for them - and it won't hurt them.

I've said my piece now too.